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Originally Posted by djchemi
But I'm a little prejudice toward people from Nigeria, as well-after getting so many scam emails from that country.
"Dear sir,
My name is...I have $4045845848485...I am dying...I need you to...."
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Good point. I'm prejudice a little bit and I'm sure tons of people are (if not all), but we can't say it, can we? It's just that it's common for Thai people to say it out loud.
I'd look at this way, this is a great opportunity for us to say what we really feel out loud. I mean think about it, you hate them but you can't say it, I don't know which one is worse:
1. Hate them, but fake like you don't hate them.
2. Hate them, and show them that you hate them.
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We are all racist to one degree or another, it is the remnants of tribalism which was a survival mechanism way back when. It isnt only limited to races either, check the rivalry and distrust between football team supporter; you instinctively feel a slight bond with someone who supports the same team and a slight antipathy to someone who supports and opposing team. There is nothing wrong or abnormal about being judgmental in these ways, it is one way we try to ensure we survive.
However.
It is a feature of civilised society that citizens are forbidden to exercise these preferences in ways that disadvantage other people. This is not longer only a racist issue but a discrimination issue, which rightly includes religion and sexual orientation.
We are all at least a little bit racist, it comes with how we learn about and how we view the world. Not PC perhaps, but true. But we should not disadvantage anothe rperson or demean his human rights or dignity just because we have learned to have prejudices.
By these definitions, Thailand is a deeply racist society. Foreigners are tolerated here but they are never going to be equal. Thais charge us more, rip us off more and make life much more awkward with their incessant and obsessive bureaucracy and 'legulations'. Plenty of evidence for this, but of course, the sweeping characterisations that are perfectly reasonable for populations as a whole, collapse when we get down to individuals and how they behave when not acting unconsciously. There are group characteristics at work here, even though young Geranium doesnt like to agree and roundly abused me for saying so before. We all know it even if it isnt PC to say it. Once we realise this, the whole huge contrast between how we instinctively feel about our treatment as foreigners by Thais, and how we know we are treated individually as individuals becomes understandable and ought therefore to make us feel less uncomfortable and confused by the apparent dichotomy.
No flames please...